Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film screenings-discussions – “The Descendants” next on tap Saturday, April 21

Join me this spring for my Metropolitan Community College Continuing Education non-credit class–

Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film

Saturday mornings @ DoSpace

Take this opportunity to explore the creative process of Indiewood filmmaker Alexander Payne through screenings and discussions of his more recent work. The book “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” serves as an informal guide for this appreciation of the American cinema master who calls Omaha home. Don’t be surprised if some film artists drop in to share a few things about Payne and their own cinema careers.

Optional textbook available for purchase the first night of class for $25.95. If you register for all five classes, you can purchase the book at a discount for $20. Must be 18.

Register for all five classes and get one free!

The class has five weeky sessions meeting at MCC at DoSpace

Saturdays, 04/14-05/12

9:30am-12:30pm

Instructor:

Leo Adam Biga

Author of “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film”

Alexander Payne: Paris Je t’aime, 14 Arrondissement, Hung, et cetera.

Between “Sideways” and his next feature, Payne directed two short works: “14 Arrondissement,” his installment for the omnibus film “Paris Je t’aime;” and the pilot episode for the HBO series “Hung.” He and Jim Taylor also did write-for-hire gigs on blockbuster movies (“Jurassic Park III”) and Payne produced films as well.

MCC at Do Space

Saturday, April 14

9:30a-12:30p

Alexander Payne: The Descendants

After a hiatus, Payne enjoyed a triumphant return to features with “The Descendants.” This tale of a man coping with a family crisis marked Payne’s second project with a mega-star (George Clooney) and second feature shot outside Nebraska (Hawaii). This was the filmmaker’s first experience writing a feature without Jim Taylor and his script work won him his second Oscar.

MCC at Do Space

Saturday, April 21

9:30a-12:30p

Alexander Payne: Nebraska

Many years had passed since Payne made a film in his home state and he returned to make arguably his most artful to date, “Nebraska.” Distinguished by its fine ensemble cast, rural settings, black and white photography and Oscar-nominated script by Robert Nelson, the film follows a father-son road trip of healing and discovery. The small pic didn’t do much at the box-office but it was warmly received by those who saw it.

MCC at Do Space

Saturday, April 28

9:30a-12:30p

Alexander Payne: Downsizing

Payne ventured into new territory with “Downsizing,” his first big visual effects film. For it, he collaborated with a-name-above-the-title star in Matt Damon, who headed a large international cast, and re-teamed with old writing partner Jim Taylor. The late 2017 release filmed in Los Angeles, Omaha, Toronto, Norway and other spots has an original take on looming world crises.

MCC at Do Space

Saturday, May 5

9:30a-12:30p

Alexander Payne: Recap/Looking Ahead

Few filmmakers have accumulated a body of work of such depth and quality as Payne has in two decades. He’s given us much to think about already but he may only be at the mid-point of his career, which means there’s much more to come. It’s fun to speculate on what might come next from him. We we will screen excerpts from his films to date and discuss what Payne’s work has meant to world cinema thus far and we expect to see from him in the future.

Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film

Check out my brand new Facebook page & Like it–
Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film
https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderPayneExpert/

The work-in-progress page is devoted to my acclaimed book about the Oscar-winning filmmaker and his work.

“This is without question the single best study of Alexander Payne’s films, as well as the filmmaker himself and his filmmaking process. In charting the first two decades of Payne’s remarkable career, Leo Adam Biga pieces together an indelible portrait of an independent American artist, and one that’s conveyed largely in the filmmaker’s own words. This is an invaluable contribution to film history and criticism – and a sheer pleasure to read as well.” –Thomas Schatz, Film scholar and author (The Genius of the System)

The book sells for $25.95.

Available through Barnes & Noble, on Amazon, for Kindle and at other bookstores and gift shops nationwide.

Purchase it at–https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRORX1U?ref_=k4w_oembed_c1Anr6bJdAagnj&tag=kpembed-20&linkCode=kpd

You can also order signed copies by emailing the author at leo32158@cox.net.

Mini-Profile

Author-journalist-blogger Leo Adam Biga resides in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. He writes newspaper-magazine stories about people, their passions, and their magnificent obsessions. He's the author of the books "Crossing Bridges: A Priest's Uplifting Life Among the Downtrodden," "Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film" (a compilation of his journalism about the acclaimed filmmaker) "Open Wide" a biography of Mark Manhart. Biga co-edited "Memories of the Jewish Midwest: Mom and Pop Grocery Stores." His popular blog, Leo Adam Biga's My Inside Stories at leoadambiga.com, is an online gallery of his work. The blog feeds into his Facebook page, My Inside Stories, as well as his Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, Tumblr, About.Me and other social media platform pages.